The popularity of online dating has caused an increase in dating scams. Perhaps the most known is the Nigerian dating scam. Singles looking for love online should be on the look out for this scam. Nigerian scams are often not easy to detect. Indeed, the Nigerian scam artist is a whole different breed. For one, he (or she) is usually of a higher education level, often a college or university graduate or higher. Secondly, they do their homework. Thirdly, they can be exceptionally patient. Plus, some of them could rival an Oxford English professor in language prowess, especially written language.
The scammer posts a fake profile on a dating site, and often multiple dating sites. Chat rooms and social networking sites are also often targeted, as well as Christian and other religion-based dating sites.
Scammers seem to prefer using white people images, apparently cashing in on certain perceptions and stereotypes. The photograph is usually magazine cover quality, and of an exceedingly individual. The photographs are usually stolen from modeling agencies. They also use pictures of foreign models and celebrities not known in the target country. Photographs from other dating profiles have also been known to be used. In a way, the people whose images are used in these scams are victims as well.
Often, scammers prefer to use female photo profiles. Lots of men will respond to an attractive woman’s personal ad, based on a picture alone. This is not to say that women don’ get scammed. They do get scammed, by men or by other women depending on the person’s sexual orientation. In most cases, scammers target older (middle-aged) people seeking long term relationships. At this age the person is likely to be desperate therefore gullible and this age group is likely to be financially stable. Contact is initiated, often but not always, by the scammer.
The stage is set and now begins the grooming phase. The grooming phase is when the relationships and trust are built. The scammer claims to be a business executive or some type of expert from the US, Canada or the UK (or other country) temporarily working for his company in Nigeria or other African country. The fraudster knows all the right things to say and will put you on a pedestal. Before long, you are in the greatest romance journey of your life. Or so you think. Soon he/she declares love. He/she might even send you a few romantic gifts, bought with stolen credit cards. Once a trusting bond has been established, you are ripe for picking. This can take up to twelve months (talk of patience) and often there is promise of marriage. Then the scammer asks for a big favor. The scammer claims that his employer has been paying him in money orders or cashiers checks, which due to differences in banking systems he cannot cash in Nigeria (or other country). The victim is asked to cash the money orders or checks and then wire the money to the scammer via Western Union or Moneygram. He/she might be asked to keep a portion of the money for his/her troubles. This serves a dual purpose: it helps build trust and also turns the victim into a beneficiary and participant in the scam. The money orders or checks will turn out fraudulent. It usually takes most banks anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks to clear a check or money order. The scammer is counting on this, and by the time the con is exposed he/she has disappeared, leaving you to pay the bank and/or even face prosecution for participating in the fraud.
Nigerian dating scam does not always involve money, however. Some scammers are out to use your name and address to ship goods bought with stolen credit cards. The goods are first shipped to you, and then you are asked to reship to the scammers chosen destination which is usually in Nigeria. Though most forms of communication are used, including email, Instant Messaging, and Chat, the scammer will shun live video chat. This is because the photographs used are not real.
The excuse often is lack of the technology in Nigeria. The scammer can usually hire a voice of the right gender, and even accent, for a phone conversation. As a final point, just because it’s called Nigerian romance scam does not necessarily mean it’s done in or out of Nigeria. Due to mistrust of anything involving Nigeria, con artists have started operating from other countries of West Africa such as Ghana and Benin.
18 Comments
Watch out for Danny Wilson 49 of Tennesee, but is actually a supposed engeneer working in Nigeria for 3 weeks- immediately willing to relocate for love. Has a gmail account dannywilson61gmail.com and yahoo is sweetdannytn something. What a drag that was…his photos were cute, too!
Beware of a scammer named Harry Ray Anderson.. his is a con-artist and a thief! Claims to be a 39-yr. old engineer from California doing business in Nigeria. Met him on my yearbook.com. He was scamming another woman at the same time as me.. she ended up giving him $2,000 of her money. He uses yahoo as his e-mail. WATCH OUT!!!!
Watch out for 3 Nigerian Internet Dating fraudsters: Davinson Craig – Sgnt Eric Hughes – Lt Jerrfey Miller. All posing as Americans serving in Afghanistan and Pakistan. All Nigerian conmen or possibly the same person with 3 different log-ins. Do not send them money and sever all connection with them ASAP.
I hope this helps someone!
Needless to say, we have all been approached at one time or another. Some of us more fortunate and not lost any money. We have the power to educate and inform. Here is a sampling of names…and if anyone would require their pictures, I have those as well.
Edgar Taylor – Houston edytay607@yahoo .com
Henrik Lamont – Winter Haven lamonthenrik@ya hoo.com
Samuel Smith engineertaxman@ yahoo.com
Mike Green sgtmikesgreen@l ive.com
(supposedly in the US Armed forces)
Good luck to everyone out there.
Be careful of kjofcharm@yahoo .com she is in nigeria scamming americans.Says she is in san francisco a town called vallejo very pretty 5’9″ she almost got me but I saw the flags to soon.Says her name is Karen from the uk. Says her real name is Elaine Faceutt.Be ware.I will send you pictures of her upon your request.
I suspect a scammer,usernam e “dammy johnson” at trustedmind001yahoo.com.She/he wants me to send money for airfare to come U.S. If you know of this person let me know.
I thought the e-mail would be attached. fdmeadoryahoo.com
Ok, the fact of the matter is, there are scammers on just about all online dating sites.
The best way to get rid of them quickly is tell them you have some special software on your computer that you ordered from the FBI. Tell them about its ability to pick up on certain scammers keywords and phrases. They will not only drop you like a hot potato, they will cancel their membership to the website you found them on. Plus, never delete any emails they send you. It is a relatively good paper trail. Unfortunately, I didn’t come up with this idea until I had been “almost” scammed 4 times. They left me with a broken heart that I am still trying to find the pieces of. Read their emails/love letters. You will be surprised to find out that you, as a woman have been talking to a woman all along,when you thought you were talking to the man of your dreams.
Even though I told this scammer I knew what he is doing, he is still calling me 5-9 times in the middle of the night every night, I have tried every block the phone company knows and he can get around it, so I am changing my number. his id on match.com is singlemike51@yahoo he uses the name Michael Williams. Forgive me for not posting my e-mail, but I am never giving that to anyone again.
Ladies,
Beware, Lt Col George Patterson is back on facebook, with a picture. Look him up at georgepa01live.com
Anyone knows this guy called Kris White, with email add kriswhite59@yah oo.com. I think he is a scam artist. Supposedly lives in England but travels to US often. If you need to get more infor email me. He has send me pics of himself but I don’t think its him. Here’s my email airplain001gmail.com
I have received all the same correpondance on Mate1 site as well,inheritanc e money to be sent to your address,just need money to pay security charge or plane ticket to meet you first.They never come on video,they never give you proof of anything,at least nothing concrete!They say they are from the U.S but write broken English and can’t spell very good,…if you see the word “cos” in any mail i beleive this is a Nigerian posing as the American “poor greiving scammer” you will know this scammer fairly quickly as they put the word “cos”in every paragraph,…the real spelling is “because” this is not short form or slang guys,beware she’s good! Send comments back,i am interested how you all made out,”cos” i’m curious 🙂
Joel Daniels aka George Carsey G_carsey1959yahoo.com big scammer. Meets you on single sites, great looking guy, sweet talks you real smooth until he gets the money he wants. Fell for this, don’t you. If you get involved with guy, PLEASE contact me.
I suspect my son is involved in a nigerian scam with amadapattison@y ahoo.com. She claims to be a Christian missionary in Nigeria. She too started by asking his opinion of different aspects of marriage, trust, faith, etc. Within a few days they were calling each other babe and love. She has already asked for money after a week of emailing. He will not listen to my suspicion of a scam, and believes he will marry her. I think he will never see the money again. Any suggestions?
Does anybody have any proof that this georgpa01live.com is a bad guy at all. Id like to know what he is telling people about where he is and what he does or anything else about his life. do you have a picture of this guy at all. Please let me know Ardene
well i all i can say here i s that poeple make use of this country but there are lot of scamming going on in Nigeria, even though that i still love Nigeria. and what you say about the Russian and Ukraine and some other African country like Ghana, Benin etc
Watch out for Afrointroductio ns. That website is a favorite for Internet scammers. Although there are some profiles of those who are genuine and looking for love, the majority are scammers using false profiles and photographs of innocent people unawares.
Recently my sister has been corrospnding with a african in the UK he claims to be a importer and wishes to send a parcel to her whilst on a business trip which he will pick up when in Australia. He has a UK phone no.
Unfortunatley its difficult to convince her now that this is a scam. This person came from a christian dating site.
It seems obvious that this person is in the UK.
Actually the worst scammers for
free datingsites come from Senegal. But they use the Nigerian scam method.